St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-08-13

not visionary persOnage, but practical,
energetic worker, and his scheme has passed
beyond its preliminary or Ttopian stage and
is already partly accomplished.
The site for the ideal city is the nearest
point on the Pacific coast to New York, SOO
miles nearer than San Francisco. The plan
includes the building Of 1000 miles Of rail-
way, and the opening up Of new and more
direct communication between the United
States and Mexico. Already some 5000 col
onists have bought shares at SO each in the
enterprise, and more than half this number
are on the ground laying out streets, which
are to be wide and on the square, like Phlla-
delphia, building homes. making roads,
planting, clearing-all upon strictly co-opera-
tive principles. All rights and ownership
are vested in the company which is
called the "Credit Foncier,' or credit based
upon the home or homestead, which is what
Foncier means in French.
No shareholder will own the lot or the
house which he occupies he will only hold
the right to occupy it. He cannot sell 1t or
dispose of it in any way. He can leave 1t
and will then receive from the company
the money he has paid for or spent upon it.
unless, indeed, every one should want to
leave at the same time, but that contingency
has not been provided for. Pacitico is to be
the name of the city, and it is to be an abso-
lutte republic without authority, except that
vested in the company, of which all are
parts. There are no churches, no paid pas.
tors, no lawyers, because no litigation and
physicians are salaried by the general dlrec-
ton, not paid by individuals. Drones are
hardly possible in such a community, and
are not wanted. Every one must be a worker
in his or her own way. and the price Of labor
is fixed by its quality and value to the gen
era community. Women not being so
strong as men, are required to work but SIX
hours for day; men eight. The labor that
requires the greatest exertlOn OF physical
strength is given to men-the distribution
and preparation of articles of daily use
what would come under the head of retail
trading is done by women. There are di-
yersiied modes of living. Mr. Owen IA
vors the great cooperative dwellings,
as at Guise, with galleries and halls
and magnificent air spaces and all the OPP
portunity for superb garden and landscape
effects, music and pictures, libraries and lee
ture-h halls For the doing away with paid
ministry is not to get rid of all preaching; it
is only to make it more general. to open the
doors to all who have anything to say which
it may be valuable to others to hear said, and
which it is considered they should be glad tc
say, without making merchandise Oft, just
as singers will sing and the lovers Of fine
poetry recite.
tropical The Bay of Tapolobampo, in the
State of Sinaloa, Mex, is one of the finest in
the world, equal, it is said, to that of San
Francisco, and it is upon this bay that
Pacitico is even now being built and is to
create new and great commercial centre.
bay is only down upon very
few maps. 1t was General Grant who first
ordered its exploration and survey, and Mr..
Owen was the engineer in charge.
The Mexican government have made
great concessions Of land and privileges, and
the men who go can soon work themselves
into home if they have enough of money
to pay entrance fees and travelling expenses.
Women are full members as well as men,
have the same right to a vote in all meas
ures and control their own earnings. If
family prefer an individual home it can have
it, still sharing the benefits Of cooperative
purchase and sale at cost
Every one who can work finds employ
ment for everything is needed and can be
disposed of 1t is beautiful scheme. and
only that element of general cussedness,
which used to be known as total 6eprayity,
,an prevent its being carried out. 1t is in
applicable that what is not killed by adj
Fersity is sure to be by prosperity. But it
was pleasant to listen to the details of
so good plan from the lips of
he man who had thought it all
out, matured and perfected it. We forgot
1ur grumbling until some one suggested that
here were people who might want to go to
sleep, and talking was as bad as tramping
Gle IrNnER Srn0n IL